In the Depths of the Mail Room
by storyteller362
Summary: Summer between college and high school five friends found themselves talking about the past and future together in the mail room. 2/5, 3/4 mentions. Please read and drop me a review! One shot.


**Authors Note: I am celebrating my ten year anniversary on fanfiction! This is story number three for the collection. Let's see if you can find the callbacks to various points from the original story (I have a few let's see how many you can find). Any and all grammar mistakes are my own and I apologize! I ran this through a checker and hopefully it caught everything.**

**Hope you enjoy this and please drop a review, I'd love to see what you think!**

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_Summer, 2015_

They landed rather hard in a secluded alley way. In a way it was really annoying to be stopping so many times. It wasn't the first time today they had to stop because the machine was on the fritz. Four frazzled kids stepped out and looked around leaving two behind in the machine.

"Are you sure we landed in the right place?" said a boy scratching his head.

"I think so I'm not visiting my great grandfather's funeral again," said another boy, "Twice was enough, now where are we?"

"I don't know hold on." The girl paused as she looked around. "Wait I know this place. My grandpa is the boss in this place. Come on let's see what year we landed in."

With that the four kids ran to the building and peered inside. At least they could at get a date and figure out what year they had landed in. Then somehow get back to their own time and not have the machine break, thank you very much. A taller girl with dark hair found a newspaper and gasped at the date.

"Hey this is the summer that numbuh's 2, 3, 4, 86, and 362 worked together in the same place. Do you want to go in and look and see what they're up to?"

"Have nothing better to do," said the second boy as they rounded to the back of the building and found the mail room.

They had set up the machine to peer into the room and just watched and listened to what was going on. It was going to be awhile before their time machine could take flight again anyway.

KNDKNDKND

Down the mail room four teens were busy sorting through the mail. Right now, their blond friend Rachel T. McKenzie was still missing. The four standing had arranged the tables in a circle so they could see each other and talk to each other better. Although Kuki and Wally were sharing a table leaving the fifth one unattended.

"Man, I can't believe summer is almost over," said Wally groaning annoyed. "We spent most of it down in this cruddy basement."

"Hey, we had fun down here," said Kuki reminding her boyfriend, "I mean we found that nice make out spot on the second floor." She batted her long eyelashes at him and swung her dark green skirt seductively in his direction. All while twirling her black hair between her index finger and pointer finger. "Together I liked that street fair even if it did end with a bunch of the freshman fighting off some fourth graders."

Fanny just looked disgusted but had a small smile on her face. It was kind of fun to watch them flirt or at least have blackmail material. Part of her was hoping to find a boyfriend sometime later in her life. Hoagie crossed his arms and shook his head knowing exactly where that area was. Especially knowing that he had conveniently walked in on them by accident.

"We had fun outside of this floor together too you know," said Hoagie. "I mean, I took you all on my private plane I have now with my new pilot's license."

"I'm forever going to remember how we sneaked past that bouncer and got into the new restaurant across town on opening day," said Fanny.

"Or that time Rachel had put us in that bowling league and we beat those rich kids from Kendall Prep," said Wally remembering the other school in the area. "For bowling it was pretty cool _and_ this time I didn't have to clean the trophy. Where even is she anyway? It's our last day here and we have a short shift."

"I got in!" called Rachel McKenzie as she barreled into the mail room. She paused and clung to a brochure in her arms. "Great all of my friends are in one place to hear the good news."

Kuki and Fanny shared a look with each other. It was true, Rachel did have a small tight-knit group of friends that was basically them. Hoagie and Wally high fiving her as she entered as best as they could with that thing in her hand.

"First tell us a memory you have with us and then the news," said Kuki a bit giddy. It was the last day after all.

Rachel pondered for a minute before smiling. "That time we rented that cabin. I think I'm never going fishing ever again, at least with you guys."

Everyone dissolved into laughter remembering that trip. It was no picnic for sure with many things going wrong but turned out fun in the end. She showed them the folder she had in her hands excited.

"Anyway, my news. I got in and I'm so excited! That'll be the best year ever. I will studying in England for university! For three years I'll share a room with Sarah and when Abby is in Paris we can meet up. Maybe I could be in an episode of Doctor Time Space and the Continuums."

She practically danced around the mail room swooning at the idea of living in another country. This just reminded them of what was to come following graduation. Which was a little exciting thinking about it, but they had until fall until that started up again.

"I still can't believe Abby is going culinary school though," said Hoagie practically moaning remembering his girlfriend's college plans. "In Paris! Why Paris? She's going to be gone three long years in Paris."

"Well you know that she wants to open her own candy shop and make her own chocolate," said Kuki pointedly. "Paris is the best place to study culinary arts."

"I know that," said Hoagie sighing. "I just wish she wasn't gone for all of college."

"Well you could always fly yourself there," said Wally laughing a little at how he must have forgotten. "Didn't you just get your pilot's license?"

Duh, he thought, that was true. Hoagie perked up remembering that himself after all he did just brag about it. He could totally surprise her in Paris himself one day. After all she was staying with her brother, it wouldn't be hard to get the address without her knowing.

"That sounds so exciting," said Kuki as she elbowed Wally. "I can't wait until we go to Harvard together. You at med school and me in business school. It's like we're going to rule the world together or something."

"If I can stay," said Wally muttering as he flushed as Kuki flung her arms around him. Feeling generous he kissed her cheek causing Kuki to kiss him full on the lips. They laughed in each other's arms while the others avoided looking in each other's direction.

"Hey, you studied hard in school and made the top ten in the class," said Kuki soothingly to him poking his chest at the same time.

"Yea number ten."

Everyone else rolled their eyes remembering exactly how the class ranking went. Kuki at number one, Abby at two, Rachel at five, Wally at ten, Hoagie at forty, and finally Fanny at twenty. After his decommissioning Wally had tried at school with Abby and Kuki as his tutors. It did pay off in the end he supposed. Enough to get into med school at least.

They turned back to sorting the mail and placing them in the right boxes. This was cruel and unusual work, but it had to be done. Hoagie lifted a box to be brought up to the second floor and put it on the cart. Wally reaching for the third-floor box. Rachel and Kuki worked on the fourth and fifth. Finally, Fanny getting done with the first floor box.

The door opened as the five of them turned to see the local mailman with what looked like a wheelbarrow full of envelopes. A collective moan echoed around the room and the man just sneered at them and dropped it at their feet.

"Oh great, lovely, even more work"

He left before they turned to each other. Hoagie and Wally went to grab the bag as Wally made a face at the retreating form of their boss. Kuki turned to look at her friends and zeroed in on Fanny and Hoagie.

"So Fanny, Hoagie, what are you two going to do? Are you going to college or something else?"

Hoagie and Fanny shared a look before she shrugged. "Not to brag but I did get into med school. I'll be taking classes with your boyfriend here."

Wally gaped hearing that for the first. "You got into Harvard Medical School too? Man, they'll let anyone in." He laughed and tossed a stack of envelopes in front of him to sort. Out of nowhere did he feel the sting of a slap upside his head. "Hey."

"In case you must know Beetles, I did great. We'll see who finishes top of the class now that I don't have history and economics to bring me down."

"Oh, you are on Fulbright."

The two were practically nose to nose as Rachel pulled them apart. "That's enough," she said. "Hoagie how about you, what are you going to do now that your out of school?"

Hoagie thought about it. While he did like flying planes, he didn't want to make that a career. It was more like a hobby and something he could do in his downtime. "Well I'm going to the state school. I'm thinking of doubling in journalism and criminal justice or starting at the police academy as I go to school. That way I can become Hoagie P. Gilligan P.I. and lead investigative reporter."

Fanny rolled her eyes remembering his 'detective' work.

"Don't you remember I'm the one that figured out that students pink eye crust was the topping on Nurse Claiborne's apple crumble. I think the snot was the filling."

Hoagie quivered a little in his boots remembering that day like it was yesterday. A chorus of eww's escaped everyone's lips at that. Rachel's eyes grew wide not knowing that since she went to Meyer Elementary.

"You had to remind me," said Fanny ready to hit him but restrained herself. "There goes my lunch."

"Don't puke!" said Rachel. "Please don't hurl."

Fanny laughed instead and threw the new mail into one of the bags. Junk mail had to go somewhere. It was quiet before finishing everything up. It was only a four hour shift after all and it went by fast as they talked and snacked on the trail mix Hoagie had brought. Finally, they clocked out for the last time and started toward the front door.

Near the front was Mr. Boss, er, Mr. Fulbright fighting with some kids from the local elementary school. Confused they watched the younger ones leave and Mr. Boss looked sore all over. Someone in a toilet paper costume running in the opposite direction.

"Was that Joey?" asked Wally to Hoagie who just shrugged they didn't get that good of a look at the kids.

Mr. Boss seemed to hear him and turned around to zero in on the group. "What are you looking at? Go back to work!"

"Uh, it's our last day," said Rachel wondering if that was her neighbors' kid in the group, another kid looked familiar to her from the looks of it she might be right. "We clocked out already."

He looked down at them one last time and grunted. "Oh you're just interns in the mail room," grumbled Mr. Boss failing to see his daughter in the group.

"Daddy," said Fanny her green eyes wide, lower lip trembled, and her body shaking slightly. She knew how to get to her dad.

Mr. Boss hesitated and looked at her friends with a fake smile. "You were good interns, the best even."

"Let's get a picture," said Kuki practically squealing. She thrusted her phone to Mr. Boss for him to take a picture. She found a good space in front of the building and adjusted her hair while everyone else gathered around her. Everyone squashed together with the company name plate just behind them to know where they were.

Annoyed he snapped the picture a few times for good measure.

"I got it."

Kuki bounced over and took her bedazzled phone from him and grinned at the picture, vowing to send it to all of them. They looked happy and like the best of friends. Maybe that's because they were great friends.

"You know I might actually miss this cruddy place," said Wally as he took Kuki's hand and grinned at her. "Me too," said Rachel. "We should get together next summer before I leave for England. Maybe we can bring Abby."

"That sounds perfect. Ready to hit the mall and blow the last of our spending money?" asked Hoagie.

They all nodded and headed toward their cars promising to meet in front of the Italian restaurant to order a big bowl of spaghetti together. Rachel left with the newest Taylor Swift song, Bad Blood, blaring from the car. Kuki and Wally briefly making out in the front seat before leaving. Fanny leaving with her dad first to go and get changed first.

Hoagie took one long last look at the building and turned to his car. It had been a good last day on the job.

KNDKNDKND

From the corner of the building peeking around from before watched them leave. Huh, now that was a little entertaining as they waited.

"Oh I have to ask for some stories now," said the girl. "As soon as we get back I'm asking. Ready to go check on the ship? See if Tommy fixed it?"

"Ready to go and accidentally land in another time period?" asked the boy.

Collectively everyone else shared a look before chorusing, "Yep."


End file.
